The Chosen Servants of Allah, the Hujjaj, are returning from all over the world. How should we meet them and is there anything specific that should be said to them? It is mentioned in a Hadith that when one meets a haji, one should make salaam to him, shake his hand and ask him to make dua for forgiveness on one’s behalf. One should do this even before he enters his house, i.e., the moment he returns from his hajj. One should ask him to make this dua because his sins have been forgiven. The person who returns from hajj is an accepted person in the sight of the Almighty. There is, therefore, great hope that his duas will be accepted.
Inform him of whatever dua one wishes him to make on one’s behalf, irrespective of whether it be for this world or for the hereafter. “There is no reward for an accepted hajj except Jannah.” (Al-Bukharī, Muslim)It is proven in the saheeh Sunnah that the Sahaabah used to rejoice when travellers arrived, whether they were coming from ‘Umrah, Hajj, journeys for trade or any other kind of journey.It was stated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may the Almighty be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Makkah – during the conquest – the children of Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib met him and he carried one of them in front of him (on his mount) and another behind him.
Told by al-Bukhaari (1704) in Kitaab al-‘Umrah, “Chapter on welcoming arriving pilgrims, and three men on one mount.”Ibn al-Zubayr asked Ibn Ja’far (may the Almighty be pleased with them both): Do you remember when we met the Messenger of the Almighty (peace and blessings of Almighty be upon him), me and you and Ibn ‘Abbaas? He said: Yes, and he carried us (on his mount) and left you. Told by al-Bukhaari (2916).“Whoever performs hajj for the sake of pleasing te Almighty , and therein utters no word of evil, nor commits any evil deed, shall return from it free from sin as the day on which his mother gave birth to him.” (Al-Bukharī, Muslim)The performance of hajj becomes so pure that even that person is forgiven for whom he seeks forgiveness.
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The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “When you meet a Hajī (on his way home), then greet him, shake hands with him and ask him to beg forgiveness of the Almighty on your behalf before he enters his home, for his prayer for forgiveness is accepted since he is forgiven by the Almighty.” (Ahmad)Ibn Umar reports that prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When you meet a haji (on his way home) then greet him, shake hands with him and ask him to beg forgiveness of Allah on your behalf before he enters his home, for his prayer for forgiveness is accepted since he is forgiven by the Almighty for his sins.”It is also reported that Umar bin Khattab said, “The haji has the pardon of the Almighty and until the twentieth of Rabi al Awwal the Almighty answers his prayers in which he begs forgiveness for anyone.”For these reasons it has always been the custom of the learned predecessors to welcome the pilgrims, to walk with them and to ask them to pray on one’s behalf.
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